NHL Rumors: Flyers' Tough Guy Becoming Trade Candidate

John Tortorella wants his players to play with a certain identity, but how many tough guys is too much in the lineup? The Philadelphia Flyers already have Nic Deslauriers on their fourth line and he's among the top-five toughest players in the league. So why do they need another in Zack MacEwen?

With five NHL regulars out of the lineup due to injuries, the depth of the Flyers is already being tested. But before defeating the New York Islanders, the Flyers had lost 10 games in a row. After a strong start out of the gate and their new coach having them play a style that is hard to play against at the very least, they haven't been able to overcome the lack of NHL talent in the lineup.

Flyers and Islanders with two fights in the first 10 seconds of the game 😳🥊 pic.twitter.com/hhWRaOh9mj
— Gino Hard (@GinoHard_) November 30, 2022

Some teams are getting pushed around this season while others will be looking to add a bit more toughness to their roster before playoffs. MacEwen will surely garner interest as he is cheap ($925,000 AAV), very physical whether it be with hits or fights, and can actually produce some offence. He already has three goals and seven points this season.

As a former waiver claim by the Flyers, they would be wise to move him for some assets by the trade deadline or sooner and test more of their young players in what appears to be a lost season.